AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I could see that. The cows, the horses, and the other animals looked like they weren’t raised just for profit but were labors of love.
“That’s impressive, though.”
“I know. My father . . . when he left me with this place to retire, he told me I could do whatever I wanted with it. I was left with a legacy, and I can only hope that I am able to carry on with this legacy in the way that he wanted it,” he said.
A legacy. This whole place certainly felt like the start of a legacy.
“I think you’re doing a good job,” I admitted.
He blushed, smiling.
“Thanks. I don’t hear that all too often. My father . . . he just wants this place taken care of, and he rarely cares about whatever happens here. It sucks, but it’s the way that it is. I grew up listening to him, getting my ass kicked by everything that needed to be done, only to build this for myself. Sometimes I look back, though, and go ‘damn’ at the way things are. I made this possible, and I’m still . . . still reeling about that to this day,” he admitted.
I smiled. “I know. You’re pretty amazing. I’m surprised that you’ve done all of this yourself.”
“It hasn’t been easy. And it also doesn’t help that lots of people look at me funny, too,” he said.
Look at him funny, but why? He was a beautiful, incredibly muscular man, and his dedication to his job was so awe-inspiring that it made me almost jealous.
“Why?”
He looked around, trying to figure out the right words. The sun began to set over the horizon, and he sighed.
“Because Tina, it’s mostly just . . . people are scared of how I look. They think I’m some kind of bad guy, but I just want people to be happy. A lot are intimidated by me, and there is another part of me that is worried that I’m judged based on my brother’s actions,” he explained.
“Why would they do that?”
“Simple, they know my brother is a dick, and they know Glenn just up and left everyone, so I’m the odd man out. I have my life kind of together, building this land for others. It’s weird to them, you know?”
I didn’t get that, but it did have to do with how people regarded him and how he looked at measurements of success.
“Well, I think you’re an amazing man, Caleb.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “I’m serious. I really like you a lot, and . . . you’re a pretty inspiring guy. I wish I could build half of what you have, and I wish I could turn my vet practice into something successful like this.”
My fear of failure kept me going, but I was also worried about how others perceived me.
“I figured. Well, you’re doing great, Tina. I mean it. I’m . . . I’m happy I finally got to say this to someone. I’ve gone all this time hiding my feelings, holding back from others, but the truth is, I feel like I can tell you just about anything,” he said.
I smiled. “I feel like I can too. Thanks, Caleb, for…taking another chance on me despite what happened earlier.”
Caleb pulled me in closer, our warm bodies touching. Then he spoke. “You’re welcome, Tina. I’m glad we can talk about this together.”
Our bodies inched closer, my heart practically thumping out of my chest. Before I knew it, our lips were on one another’s, kissing softly.
The kiss was chaste and innocent, but the way Caleb deepened it was far from that. I groaned softly, enjoying everything that came from this. For a moment, we just sat there making out with one another. I couldn’t pull away, though.
I wanted him so badly, and I knew there wasn’t any chance of me getting away from these feelings anytime soon.
He moved me down on the blanket; my body splayed out along the sides of it. We continued to kiss, his divine tongue meeting mine, kissing me passionately. As he did so, his hands touched my body, skirting upwards in a soft, almost cautionary, manner.
However, as his hands stopped, I pulled back, looking at him.
“I want . . . to continue what we did the other day. If that’s okay,” I said.
He looked too surprised for words, but then he nodded. “All right. I’ll take things slow to make sure that you feel good.”
